UPDATED: European NGOs have protested against a wine-industry-sponsored meeting promoting what one critic has called a “hilariously flawed” concept in the European Parliament on World Heart Day, which is today.
“Policymakers should remember that the primary obligation of these commercial operators is to make profit for their shareholders. They do not have the health expertise, and their contribution should not influence health policy decisions, such as the information which should be provided to the public,” said Dr Peter Rice, President of the European Alcohol Policy Alliance, known as Eurocare.
Today’s event will reportedly promote “Blue Zones”, a brand name American entrepreneur Dan Buettner applies to five areas he says are associated with long life and healthy aging thanks to a habit of daily alcohol drinking.
One of Buettner’s harshest critics, Saul Newman, a researcher at UCL, described the data underlying the Blue Zones concept as “hilariously flawed”. A 2010 Japanese government review, for example, found 82% of Japanese centenarians were already dead, undermining Okinawa’s place on the longevity shortlist.
Debunking the unusually high longevity Buettner attributes to these regions is difficult. But any longer lifespans in these regions—or anywhere—cannot reliably be attributed to a handpicked shortlist of lifestyle habits. This is especially true for daily alcohol drinking, which was found to shorten lifespan when studied in depth.
Buettner’s daily alcohol drinking recommendation comes alongside a side business selling wine branded “Santevino™”, healthwine in English, which comes from Sardinia, one of the five zones bestowed with the Blue Zone status.
“Health debates: Can wine be part of a healthy lifestyle?” will be hosted in the European Parliament by Italian MEP Dario Nardella, a centre-left former mayor of Florence, sponsored by the European Committee of Wine Companies (CEEV), a wine industry trade body.
The protest is supported by Association of European Cancer Leagues, Eurocare, European Health Alliance on Alcohol, European Heart Network, Standing Committee of European Doctors. ■